Current Controversy

So many of you may have heard about this court case that has been going on for the past few years. An atheist group sued the Utah Highway Patrol, asking that they be forced to remove memorials erected to honor fallen officers. The memorials are controversial because they are large, white crosses with the officer's name and badge # along with the symbol of the highway patrol. The atheists argued that this was a violation of the separation of church and state. Families of the the officers, such as mine, argued that these memorials represent the sacrifice they made for our state and that we should be able to erect whatever memorial we want for this purpose, considering it is in good taste. We won this case in the lower court, but the 10th Circiut Court of Appeals overturned that ruling and the crosses were ordered taken down. The Highway Patrol appealed to the Supreme Court, and this week they refused to hear the case, meaning the lower court's ruling stands and there is no other route for appeal. Several of the news outlets have contacted our family for comment and we were interviewed today on KSL at the site of my dad's cross in Parley's canyon.

I can understand the argument by the atheists. The cross obviously is most commonly associated with Christ. Before him it was just another terrible form torture and execution. After Christ, it became a symbol not only of his ultimate sacrifice, but of the suffering and loss of anyone who valued life and lost it, whether voluntarily or unnecessarily. It has been used all around the world on national flags, marking the graves of countless soldiers, and in makeshift roadside memorials after tragic car accidents.  When you see a white cross on the side of the road, you instantly associate it with the loss of someone important to someone else. No other symbol is as universally recognized and understood as the cross.  Being asked to substitute it for some meaningless obelisk or stone block takes away the deep meaning and instant recognition of symbol.  Worse yet, it takes away the family's ability to remember their loved one in the way they want. 

Crosses at Arlington National Cemetery

Thankfully, my father's cross is on private land and won't have to be removed, but most of the others will.  One other thing...memorials are nice, but the best respect we can give to these officers is to show respect to them before they are killed in the line of duty.  Next time you are pulled over for speeding, consider thanking the officer for doing his job and keeping everybody safe.